Jaw-drop of the week

A new Caravaggio! I can scarcely believe it. In my first-ever visit to the Louvre in Paris many years ago, I spent a few minutes fighting the crowds to see the Mona Lisa then wandered into the gallery next door, where I was very much more moved by Caravaggio’s Death of the Virgin. Since then I’ve become a bit of a Caravaggio crack-head. So I was very excited by this report of an unknown Caravaggio discovered – aren’t they always? – in somebody’s French attic. It’s believed to be related to this painting of Judith beheading Holofernes, currently on display in Rome. Can’t wait to hear where the new discovery will end up – I do hope it becomes available for public viewing.

Pic of the week

Eagle-eyed reader and author-in-the-making, Helen from England’s Oldham region, discovered this pretty girl recently and thought she could have been purposely painted for A Case for Trust. If you’ve read the book, you can probably guess the scene! Flirty and fabulous – perfectly fitting! Thanks, Helen!

Fashion of the week

Awwwww of the week

Because you were so delightfully interested in the future of our koalas (thank you!), here’s some good news on another critter, very close to my own heart. Brush-tailed rock wallabies, also known as pretty-faced wallabies (for obvious reasons!) are critically endangered in the southernmost parts of Australia, and vulnerable in the rest of their natural geographic range. I have a mother wallaby of this type who often appears in my backyard, and the last two years she’s brought a joey in her pouch with her. This is her right here.

Song of the week

You might not know him outside of Oz, but Darren Percival is a local performer who was runner-up in Australia’s first The Voice competition a few years back and has had some terrific commercial success since. The reason he’s my singer of the week, though, is because he’s one of the most generous performers I’ve seen, consistently sharing his “airtime” and visibility with up-and-coming performers. This week he kicked off a series of very affordable workshops that give a whole range of people from all walks of life the opportunity to open up their lungs and hearts and have a good sing. He’s a true “soul” performer in every sense of the word – and his music is magnificent, too. Enjoy!

I’d love to hear what you’ve loved this week! Drop me a note in the comments box? I’m always happy to share!